Wayne Community College has received eight General Motors diesel trucks for use in its automotive technology program.
The 3.0-liter diesel 2019 GMC Sierra and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks were donated to WCC by General Motors Customer Care and Aftersales for use in the GM-ASEP (Automotive Service Education Program).
Each of the trucks, all light-duty pre-production models with Duramax diesel engines, is worth an average of $50,000. They bring the number of GM vehicles available to students to 34.
Having so many vehicles on campus provides more opportunities for hands-on experience for each student and these trucks allow the students to train on the most current technologies, explained WCC GM-ASEP Coordinator David Byrd.
“All the technology that you would find in a high end vehicle is in these trucks, from infotainment to heated seats,” said Byrd. “The things in these trucks are what they will see in vehicles that they will have to fix.”
Continuous support from GM equips the college to prepare students to ease the current automotive technician shortage, Byrd explained.
“If it wasn’t for our car company partnerships, we couldn’t offer this kind of training to our students,” Byrd said. “They’re doing something for us and we’re doing something for them,” he said.
The vehicles were among more than 200 that had been sent to dealerships across the country so executives could assess them. According to Byrd, after a year, they were returned to GMC and distributed to training programs.
“This donation provides a greater opportunity for our up and coming technicians to learn on the innovative technology in our current model vehicles, providing hands-on repair experience and diagnostic skills,” said Eric Kenar, GM manager for technician environment and service technical college. “This will put those students at a competitive advantage when they graduate from GM ASEP and enter into the dealership or ACDelco Professional Service Center environment.”
GM-ASEP incorporates advanced automotive technical training using GM products with a strong academic foundation and both analytical and technical skills. Students alternate between the classroom and hands-on work experience at sponsoring GM dealerships. Upon completion of the program, graduates earn an associate in applied science degree in Automotive Systems Technology.
Byrd invited individuals interested in the GM-ASEP program to contact him for more information and a tour of the new Ash Building, home of the automotive and collision repair programs. He can be reached at dbyrd@waynecc.edu or 919-739-6820.
